KIMBALL TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2160 WADHAMS ROAD, KIMBALL, MI 48074
REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 06, 2022
6:30 P.M.
Usakowski opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS: Usakowski, Wrubel, Jackson, Hoffman, Ward and Nelson.
ABSENT: Deland.
ALSO PRESENT: Chief Gratz.
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APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Usakowski: Add under New Business B. Non Union Wage Increase and under Old Business A, add Local Road Fund Assistance.
Nelson asked why the non-union wage increase was not on the agenda.
Usakowski: You would have to ask Connie.
Nelson motioned to approve the agenda as amended supported by Jackson.
Motion Carried.
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PRESENTATION OF MINUTES FOR AUGUST 16, 2022
Jackson motioned to approve the minutes as presented supported by Wrubel.
Motion Carried.
III. CONSENT AGENDA AND COMMUNICATIONS
A.
Check Register from 07/12/2022 to 08/30/2022
- Revenue & Expenditure Report for Period Ending 08/31/2022
Wrubel motioned to approve the disbursement of $1,277,442.04 to pay the bills and file supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Wrubel, Jackson, Hoffman, Ward, Nelson and Usakowski. NO: None. ABSENT: Deland. (6-0-1) Motion Carried.
- BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
- Board of Public Works of the County of St. Clair Minutes for 08/02/2022
- Board of County Road Commission of the County of St. Clair Minutes for 08/02/2022
Hoffman motioned to receive and file boards and commissions supported by Ward. Motion Carried.
- PUBLIC COMMENT (Brief Comments)
None.
- CHIEF GRATZ REPORT
- Applications for Employment: Liniarski
Gratz: New applicant would be a good fit.
Wrubel motioned to approve the new hire for the fire department supported by Ward. Motion Carried.
- Kimball Township Fire Department SOP: Fire Cadet Program
Gratz: I need approval from the board to adopt this policy. I It did get approved from the insurance company and attorney that we are covered for both. The program is geared for 14 to 17 year olds.
Nelson asked if there was a cost for this program.
Gratz: If there was a cost then the cadet would do their own fund raising for it or our Kimball Township Fire Fighters Association will help with that cost. Nothing comes out of our budget for it.
Wrubel motioned to approve the cadet program supported by Jackson.
Motion Carried.
- Kimball Township Fire Department Request for Expenditure Over $500
The steer tires on engine 2 are due for replacement and are showing the wear for replacement. I have listed three vendors for tires.
Usakowski: Do you have a recommendation?
Gratz: Bob’s Truck Repair & Car Care Center LLC.
Wrubel motioned to approve the $1,333.84 for new tires for the fire truck from Bob’s supported by Ward.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Wrubel, Ward, Nelson, Hoffman, Jackson and Usakowski. NO: None. ABSENT: Deland. (6-0-1) Motion Carried.
- Resolution 2022-16: Fees for Services
Gratz explained that this is a resolution with updated fees and wording.
Jackson motioned to adopt Resolution 2022-16 supported by Wrubel.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Jackson, Wrubel, Usakowski, Hoffman, Ward and Nelson. NO: None. ABSENT: Deland. (6-0-1) Motion Carried.
- Ordinance to Amend Kimball Township Ordinance #156
Gratz: There is no amendment to this ordinance. I submitted it for review.
- DEPARTMENT REPORTS
- Building
As presented.
- Ordinance Enforcement
Usakowski: Page 66 there is list of recommended environmental enforcement ordinance items just for you to review from the survey.
- OLD BUSINESS
Local Road Fund Assistance
Usakowski: Applications are due September 30. That is $100,000.00 that the county will put towards a road project. It is a competitive Grant Program so it is not a guarantee and we will have to apply for it. I did talk to Bill Hazelton and he recommended that we finish the rest of Sparling Road. The estimated cost for this project is $230,000.00, the Road Commission would put in $100,000.00 and we would put in $130,000.00. I would recommend finishing Sparling Road.
Discussion on other roads that need fixing.
Usakowski: We will bring it back as a resolution to the next meeting.
Hoffman asked if Hyde was done with his project.
Usakowski will check.
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NEW BUSINESS
ARPA Funding
Usakowski: We would have to allocate monies by department funding. Starting on page 61 are the survey results. Departments would have to follow township project procedures. Roads were the number one response back from the survey.
Parks Committee have been working quite a bit. It’s probably going to cost around $100,000.00 for playground equipment. Hopefully we will be able to get some grant money.
We need to update our Master Plan.
I did talk to the Clerk about document storage and solutions, as well as preservation of documents.
Discussion.
Wrubel: I think that water and sewer probably is going to need more. Between $75,000.00 and $100,000.00 is going to go for the electronic system for the pump station.
Usakowski: I think that we can let the departments make the determination and bring it back to the board.
Usakowski motioned to go with this distributions and have each department bring back their recommendations to the board supported by Ward. Motion Carried.
Non Union Wage Increase
We usually wait on the Non Union Wage Increase until the union workers settle their negotiations. We met last week with the Union and we have a tentative agreement in place and are just waiting for the verbiage to come back from the Union. We budgeted for a 3% increase but since it has been 18 months since we gave them an increase I am recommending a 4% increase.
We are making a couple of adjustments. The Assessing Assistant is underpaid compare to what someone with his qualifications would normally get paid, so I am recommending an additional 50 cents for him. Some of the fire department calls are being paid on the low side. I recommend to bring those up to a more competitive wage as well.
Cost of living is at 8-9%. This doesn’t keep up.
Wrubel motioned to approve the wage increase of 4% for non-union employees including the Assessor Assistant and Fire Department calls up to the competitive wages supported by Jackson.
ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Wrubel, Jackson, Hoffman, Ward, Nelson and Usakowski. NO: None. ABSENT: Deland. (6-0-1) Motion Carried.
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AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Nancy Crowe: Did you have the meeting with DTE?
Usakowski: We did. I’m not sure what they are doing with the poles. They have been very busy this week with storm damage. DTE is supposed to give the owner of the property a quote for putting lines in the ground.
Discussion.
X. OFFICERS REPORT
A. Supervisor Usakowski
We have the Fall Clean Up coming up on Saturday, September 10th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
October 15th we are having the Trunk or Treat at Sutherland Park. We still need help with this.
Jerry has stepped down from the parks so we are running it with just Cal now.
DPW may need a part-time worker to help with some duties.
B.
Clerk Wrubel
No report.
- Treasurer Jackson
Jackson gave an update on the finances. Taxes are coming in regularly.
Usakowski: Have we gotten the disbursement from the County Parks?
Jackson: No.
- Trustee Hoffman
No report.
- Trustee Deland
Absent.
- Trustee Nelson
I was a delegate for St. Clair County for the GOP State Convention as a Precinct Delegate #3.
- Trustee Ward
We are still practicing at the park and the grass really needs cutting.
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ADJOURNMENT
Wrubel motioned to adjourn the meeting 7:20 p.m. supported by Nelson.
Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Submitted by Becky Wrubel, Clerk
